Introduction

You may be able to deduct qualified education expenses paid during the year for yourself, your spouse, or your dependent(s).
You can't claim this deduction if your filing status is married filing separately or if another person can claim an exemption
for you as a dependent on his or her tax return. The qualified expenses must be for higher education, as explained later under
Qualified Education Expenses.

What is the tax benefit of the tuition and fees deduction?
The tuition and fees deduction can reduce the amount of your income subject to tax by up to $4,000.

This deduction is claimed as an adjustment to income. This means you can claim this deduction even if you don't itemize
deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040). This deduction may be beneficial to you if you don't qualify for the American opportunity
or lifetime learning credits.

You can choose the education benefit that will give you the lowest tax. You may want to compare the tuition and fees deduction
to the education credits. See chapter 2 (American opportunity credit) and chapter 3 (lifetime learning credit) for more information on the education credits.

Table 6-1.Tuition and Fees Deduction at a Glance

Don't rely on this table alone. Refer to the text for complete details.

Question

Answer

What is the maximum benefit?

You can reduce your income subject to tax by up to $4,000.

What is the limit on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI)?

$160,000 if married filing a joint return; $80,000 if single, head of household, or qualifying widow(er).

Where is the deduction taken?

As an adjustment to income on Form 1040 or Form 1040A.

For whom must the expenses be paid?

A student enrolled in an eligible educational institution who is either: •you, •your spouse, or •your dependent for whom you claim an exemption.

What tuition and fees are deductible?

Tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance at an eligible postsecondary educational institution, but not including
personal, living, or family expenses, such as room and board.

Who Can't Claim the Deduction?

You can't claim the tuition and fees deduction if any of the following apply.

Your filing status is married filing separately.

Another person can claim an exemption for you as a dependent on his or her tax return. You can't take the deduction even if
the other person doesn't actually claim that exemption.

Your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is more than $80,000 ($160,000 if filing a joint return).

You (or your spouse) were a nonresident alien for any part of 2015 and the nonresident alien didn't elect to be treated as
a resident alien for tax purposes. More information on nonresident aliens can be found in Pub. 519.

What Expenses Qualify?

The tuition and fees deduction is based on qualified education expenses you pay for yourself, your spouse, or a dependent
for whom you claim an exemption on your tax return. Generally, the deduction is allowed for qualified education expenses paid
in 2015 in connection with enrollment at an institution of higher education during 2015 or for an academic period beginning
in 2015 or in the first 3 months of 2016.

For example, if you paid $1,500 in December 2015 for qualified tuition for the spring 2016 semester beginning in January 2016,
you may be able to use that $1,500 in figuring your 2015 deduction.

Academic period.
An academic period includes a semester, trimester, quarter, or other period of study (such as a summer school session)
as reasonably determined by an educational institution. If an educational institution uses credit hours or clock hours and
doesn't have academic terms, each payment period can be treated as an academic period.

Paid with borrowed funds.
You can claim a tuition and fees deduction for qualified education expenses paid with the proceeds of a loan. Use
the expenses to figure the deduction for the year in which the expenses are paid, not the year in which the loan is repaid.
Treat loan disbursements sent directly to the educational institution as paid on the date the institution credits the student's
account.

Student withdraws from class(es).
You can claim a tuition and fees deduction for qualified education expenses not refunded when a student withdraws.

Qualified Education Expenses

For purposes of the tuition and fees deduction, qualified education expenses are tuition and certain related expenses required
for enrollment or attendance at an eligible educational institution.

Eligible educational institution.
An eligible educational institution is any college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary educational
institution eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. It includes
virtually all accredited public, nonprofit, and proprietary (privately owned profit-making) postsecondary institutions.

An eligible educational institution also includes certain educational institutions located outside the United States
that are eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

The educational institution should be able to tell you if it is an eligible educational institution.

Related expenses.
Student activity fees and expenses for course-related books, supplies, and equipment are included in qualified education
expenses only if the fees and expenses must be paid to the institution as a condition of enrollment or attendance.

Prepaid expenses.
Qualified education expenses paid in 2015 for an academic period that begins in the first 3 months of 2016 can be
used in figuring an education credit for 2015 only. See Academic period, earlier. For example, if you pay $2,000 in December 2015 for qualified tuition for the 2016 winter quarter that begins in
January 2016, you can use that $2,000 in figuring an education credit for 2015 only (if you meet all the other requirements).

You can't use any amount you paid in 2014 or 2016 to figure the qualified education expenses you use to figure your 2015 education
credit(s).

In the following examples, assume that each student is an eligible student and each college or university an eligible educational
institution.

Example 1.

Jackson is a sophomore in University V's degree program in dentistry. This year, in addition to tuition, he is required to
pay a fee to the university for the rental of the dental equipment he will use in this program. Because the equipment rental
fee must be paid to University V for enrollment and attendance, Jackson's equipment rental fee is a qualified education expense.

Example 2.

Donna and Charles, both first-year students at College W, are required to have certain books and other reading materials to
use in their mandatory first-year classes. The college has no policy about how students should obtain these materials, but
any student who purchases them from College W's bookstore will receive a bill directly from the college. Charles bought his
books from a friend, so what he paid for them isn't a qualified education expense. Donna bought hers at College W's bookstore.
Although Donna paid College W directly for her first-year books and materials, her payment isn't a qualified education expense
because the books and materials aren't required to be purchased from College W for enrollment or attendance at the institution.

Example 3.

When Marci enrolled at College X for her freshman year, she had to pay a separate student activity fee in addition to her
tuition. This activity fee is required of all students, and is used solely to fund on-campus organizations and activities
run by students, such as the student newspaper and the student government. No portion of the fee covers personal expenses.
Although labeled as a student activity fee, the fee is required for Marci's enrollment and attendance at College X. Therefore,
it is a qualified expense.

No Double Benefit Allowed

You can't do any of the following.

Deduct qualified education expenses you deduct under any other provision of the law, for example, as a business expense.

Deduct qualified education expenses for a student on your income tax return if you or anyone else claims an American opportunity
or lifetime learning credit for that same student in the same year.

Deduct qualified education expenses that have been used to figure the tax-free portion of a distribution from a Coverdell
education savings account (ESA) or a qualified tuition program (QTP). For a QTP, this applies only to the amount of tax-free
earnings that were distributed, not to the recovery of contributions to the program. See Coordination With Tuition and Fees Deduction in chapter 8.

Deduct qualified education expenses that have been paid with tax-free interest on U.S. savings bonds (Form 8815). See Figuring the Tax-Free Amount in chapter 10.

Deduct qualified education expenses that have been paid with tax-free educational assistance, such as a scholarship, grant,
or assistance provided by an employer. See the following section on Adjustments to Qualified Education Expenses.

Adjustments to Qualified Education Expenses

For each student, reduce the qualified education expenses paid by or on behalf of that student under the following rules.
The result is the amount of adjusted qualified education expenses for each student. You must also reduce qualified education
expenses by the other amounts referred to in No Double Benefit Allowed, earlier.

Tax-free educational assistance.
For tax-free educational assistance received in 2015, reduce the qualified educational expenses for each academic
period by the amount of tax-free educational assistance allocable to that academic period. See Academic period, earlier.

Some tax-free educational assistance received after 2015 may be treated as a refund of qualified education expenses
paid in 2015. This tax-free educational assistance is any tax-free educational assistance received by you or anyone else after
2015 for qualified education expenses paid on behalf of a student in 2015 (or attributable to enrollment at an eligible educational
institution during 2015).

Any other nontaxable (tax-free) payments (other than gifts or inheritances) received as educational assistance.

Generally, any scholarship or fellowship grant is treated as tax free. However, a scholarship or fellowship grant isn't treated
as tax free to the extent the student includes it in gross income (the student may or may not be required to file a tax return
for the year the scholarship or fellowship grant is received) and either of the following is true.

The scholarship or fellowship grant (or any part of it) must be applied (by its terms) to expenses (such as room and board) other than qualified education expenses as defined in Qualified education expenses in chapter 1.

The scholarship or fellowship grant (or any part of it) may be applied (by its terms) to expenses (such as room and board) other than qualified education expenses as defined in Qualified education expenses in chapter 1.

You may be able to increase the combined value of an education credit and certain educational assistance if the student includes
some or all of the educational assistance in income in the year it is received. For details, see Adjustments to Qualified
Education Expenses in chapters 2 and 3.

Refunds.
A refund of qualified education expenses may reduce adjusted qualified education expenses for the tax year or require
repayment (recapture) of a credit claimed in an earlier year. Some tax-free educational assistance received after 2015 may
be treated as a refund. See Tax-free educational assistance, earlier.

Refunds received in 2015.
For each student, figure the adjusted qualified education expenses for 2015 by adding all the qualified education
expenses for 2015 and subtracting any refunds of those expenses received from the eligible educational institution during
2015.

Refunds received after 2015 but before your income tax return is filed.
If anyone receives a refund after 2015 of qualified education expenses paid on behalf of a student in 2015 and the
refund is paid before you file an income tax return for 2015, the amount of qualified education expenses for 2015 is reduced
by the amount of the refund.

Refunds received after 2015 and after your income tax return is filed.
If anyone receives a refund after 2015 of qualified education expenses paid on behalf of a student in 2015 and the
refund is paid after you file an income tax return for 2015, you may need to repay some or all of the credit. See Credit recapture, later.

Coordination with education saving bond, Coverdell education savings account, and qualified tuition programs.
Reduce your qualified education expenses by any qualified education expenses used to figure the exclusion from gross
income of (a) interest received under an education savings bond program, or (b) any distribution from a Coverdell education
savings account or qualified tuition program (QTP). For a QTP, this applies only to the amount of tax-free earnings that were
distributed, not to the recovery of contributions to the program.

Credit recapture.If any tax-free educational assistance for the qualified education expenses paid in 2015 or any refund of your qualified education
expenses paid in 2015 is received after you file your 2015 income tax return, you must recapture (repay) any excess credit.
You do this by refiguring the amount of your adjusted qualified education expenses for 2015 by reducing that amount by the
amount of the refund or tax-free educational assistance. You then refigure your education credit(s) for 2015 and figure the
amount by which your 2015 tax liability would have increased if you had claimed the refigured credit(s). Include that amount
as an additional tax for the year the refund or tax-free assistance was received.

Example.
You paid $3,500 of qualified education expenses in December 2015, and your child began college in January 2016. You
claimed $3,500 as the tuition and fees deduction on your 2015 income tax return. The reduction reduced your taxable income
by $3,500. Also, you claimed no tax credits in 2015. Your child withdrew from two classes and you received a refund of $2,000
in 2016 after you filed your 2015 tax return. Refigure your 2015 tuition and fees deduction using $1,500 of qualified education
expenses instead of the $3,500. The refigured tuition and fees deduction is $1,500. Don't file an amended 2015 tax return
to account for this adjustment. Instead, include the difference of $2,000 (but only to the extent this difference would have
increased your 2015 tax) on the “Other income” line of your 2016 Form 1040. You can't file Form 1040A for 2016.

Don't reduce the qualified education expenses by any scholarship or fellowship grant reported as income on the student's
tax return in the following situations.

The use of the money is restricted, by the terms of the scholarship or fellowship grant, to costs of attendance (such as room
and board) other than qualified education expenses as defined in Qualified education expenses in chapter 1.

The use of the money isn't restricted.

Example 1.

In 2015, Jackie paid $3,000 for tuition and $5,000 for room and board at University X. The university didn't require her to
pay any fees in addition to her tuition in order to enroll in or attend classes. To help pay these costs, she was awarded
a $2,000 scholarship and a $4,000 student loan. The terms of the scholarship state that it can be used to pay any of Jackie's
college expenses.

University X applies the $2,000 scholarship against Jackie's $8,000 total bill, and Jackie pays the $6,000 balance of her
bill from University X with a combination of her student loan and her savings. Jackie doesn't report any portion of the scholarship
as income on her tax return.

In figuring the tuition and fees deduction, Jackie must reduce her qualified education expenses by the amount of the scholarship
($2,000) because she excluded the entire scholarship from her income. The student loan isn't tax-free educational assistance,
so she doesn't need to reduce her qualified expenses by any part of the loan proceeds. Jackie is treated as having paid $1,000
in qualified education expenses ($3,000 tuition – $2,000 scholarship) in 2015.

Example 2.

The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that Jackie reports her entire scholarship as income on her tax return. Because Jackie reported the entire $2,000
scholarship in her income, she doesn't need to reduce her qualified education expenses. Jackie is treated as having paid $3,000
in qualified education expenses.

Expenses That Don't Qualify

Qualified education expenses don't include amounts paid for:

Insurance;

Medical expenses (including student health fees);

Room and board;

Transportation; or

Similar personal, living, or family expenses.

This is true even if the amount must be paid to the institution as a condition of enrollment or attendance.

Sports, games, hobbies, and noncredit courses.
Qualified education expenses generally don't include expenses that relate to any course of instruction or other education
that involves sports, games or hobbies, or any noncredit course. However, if the course of instruction or other education
is part of the student's degree program, these expenses can qualify.

Comprehensive or bundled fees.
Some eligible educational institutions combine all of their fees for an academic period into one amount. If you don't
receive, or don't have access to, an allocation showing how much you paid for qualified education expenses and how much you
paid for personal expenses, such as those listed above, contact the institution. The institution is generally required to
make this allocation and provide you with the amount you paid (or were billed) for qualified education expenses on Form 1098-T.
See Figuring the Deduction, later, for more information about Form 1098-T.

Who Is an Eligible Student?

For purposes of the tuition and fees deduction, an eligible student is a student who is enrolled in one or more courses at
an eligible educational institution (as defined under Qualified Education Expenses, earlier).

Who Can Claim a Dependent's Expenses?

Generally, in order to claim the tuition and fees deduction for qualified education expenses for a dependent, you must:

Have paid the expenses, and

Claim an exemption for the student as a dependent.

For you to be able to deduct qualified education expenses for your dependent, you must claim an exemption for that individual.
You do this by listing your dependent's name and other required information on Form 1040 (or Form 1040A), line 6c.

IF your dependent is an eligible student and you...

AND...

THEN...

claim an exemption for your dependent

you paid all qualified education expenses for your dependent

only you can deduct the qualified education expenses that you paid. Your dependent can't take a deduction.

claim an exemption for your dependent

your dependent paid all qualified education expenses

no one is allowed to take a deduction.

don't claim an exemption for your dependent

you paid all qualified education expenses

no one is allowed to take a deduction.

don't claim an exemption for your dependent

your dependent paid all qualified education expenses

no one is allowed to take a deduction.

Expenses paid by dependent.
If your dependent pays qualified education expenses, no one can take a tuition and fees deduction for those expenses.
Neither you nor your dependent can deduct the expenses. For purposes of the tuition and fees deduction, you aren't treated
as paying any expenses actually paid by a dependent for whom you or anyone other than the dependent can claim an exemption.
This rule applies even if you don't claim an exemption for your dependent on your tax return.

Expenses paid by you.
If you claim an exemption for a dependent who is an eligible student, only you can include any expenses you paid when
figuring your tuition and fees deduction.

Expenses paid under divorce decree.
Qualified education expenses paid directly to an eligible educational institution for a student under a court-approved
divorce decree are treated as paid by the student. Only the student would be eligible to take a tuition and fees deduction
for that payment, and then only if no one else could claim an exemption for the student.

Expenses paid by others.
Someone other than you, your spouse, or your dependent (such as a relative or former spouse) may make a payment directly
to an eligible educational institution to pay for an eligible student's qualified education expenses. In this case, the student
is treated as receiving the payment from the other person and, in turn, paying the institution. If you claim, or can claim,
an exemption on your tax return for the student, you aren't considered to have paid the expenses and you can't deduct them.
If the student isn't a dependent, only the student can deduct payments made directly to the institution for his or her expenses.
If the student is your dependent, no one can deduct the payments.

Example.

In 2015, Ms. Baker makes a payment directly to an eligible educational institution for her grandson Dan's qualified education
expenses. For purposes of deducting tuition and fees, Dan is treated as receiving the money from his grandmother and, in turn,
paying his own qualified education expenses.

If an exemption can't be claimed for Dan on anyone else's tax return, only Dan can claim a tuition and fees deduction for
his grandmother's payment. If someone else can claim an exemption for Dan, no one will be allowed a deduction for Ms. Baker's
payment.

Tuition reduction.
When an eligible educational institution provides a reduction in tuition to an employee of the institution (or spouse
or dependent child of an employee), the amount of the reduction may or may not be taxable. If it is taxable, the employee
is treated as receiving a payment of that amount and, in turn, paying it to the educational institution on behalf of the student.
For more information on tuition reductions, see Qualified Tuition Reduction in chapter 1.

Figuring the Deduction

Form 1098-T.
To help you figure your tuition and fees deduction, the student may receive Form 1098-T (see Appendix A for a completed example of Form 1098-T). Generally, an eligible educational institution (such as a college or university)
must send Form 1098-T (or acceptable substitute) to each enrolled student by February 1, 2016 (January 31 is a Sunday). An
institution may choose to report either payments received (box 1), or amounts billed (box 2), for qualified education expenses.
However, the amount on Form 1098-T, boxes 1 and 2, might be different than what you paid. When figuring the deduction, use
only the amounts you paid in 2015 for qualified education expenses.

In addition, Form 1098-T should give other information for that institution, such as adjustments made for prior years,
the amount of scholarships or grants, reimbursements or refunds, and whether the student was enrolled at least half-time or
was a graduate student.

The eligible educational institution may ask for a completed Form W-9S or similar statement to obtain the student's name,
address, and taxpayer identification number.

Effect of the Amount of Your Income on the Amount of Your Deduction

If your MAGI isn't more than $65,000 ($130,000 if you are married filing jointly), your maximum tuition and fees deduction
is $4,000. If your MAGI is larger than $65,000 ($130,000 if you are married filing jointly), but isn't more than $80,000 ($160,000
if you are married filing jointly), your maximum deduction is $2,000. No tuition and fees deduction is allowed if your MAGI
is larger than $80,000 ($160,000 if you are married filing jointly).

Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI).
For most taxpayers, MAGI is adjusted gross income (AGI) as figured on their federal income tax return before subtracting
any deduction for tuition and fees. However, as discussed below, there may be other modifications.

MAGI when using Form 1040A.
If you file Form 1040A, your MAGI is the AGI on line 22 of that form, figured without taking into account any amount
on line 19 (tuition and fees deduction).

MAGI when using Form 1040.
If you file Form 1040, your MAGI is the AGI on line 38 of that form, figured without taking into account any amount
on line 34 (tuition and fees deduction) or line 35 (domestic production activities deduction), and modified by adding back
any:

Foreign earned income exclusion,

Foreign housing exclusion,

Foreign housing deduction,

Exclusion of income by bona fide residents of American Samoa, and

Exclusion of income by bona fide residents of Puerto Rico.

Table 6-2 shows how the amount of your MAGI can affect your tuition and fees deduction.

Claiming the Deduction

You claim a tuition and fees deduction by completing Form 8917 and submitting it with your Form 1040 or Form 1040A. Enter
the deduction on Form 1040, line 34, or Form 1040A, line 19. A filled-in Form 8917 is shown at the end of this chapter.

Illustrated Example

Tim Pfister, a single taxpayer, enrolled full-time at a local college to earn a degree in engineering. This is the first year
of his postsecondary education. During 2015, he paid $3,600 for his qualified 2015 tuition expense. Both he and the college
meet all of the requirements for the tuition and fees deduction. Tim's total income (Form 1040, line 22) and MAGI are $26,000.
He figures his deduction of $3,600 as shown on Form 8917, later.

Worksheet 6-1.MAGI for the Tuition and Fees Deduction

Use this worksheet if you are filing Form 2555, 2555-EZ, or 4563, or you are excluding income from sources within Puerto Rico. Before using this worksheet, you must complete Form 1040, lines 7 through 33, and figure any amount to be entered on the dotted line next to line 36.

1.

Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 22

1.

2.

Enter the total from Form 1040, lines 23 through 33

2.

3.

Enter the total of any amounts entered on the dotted line next to Form 1040, line 36